Statute of Limitations – Record keeping – Senate Moving Quickly

Repealing this law takes the recordkeeping statute of limitations from 5.5 years down to 6 months like most other OSHA activity. Obvious benefit and less liability to employers from inadvertent mistakes in recordkeeping.

Soon, the Senate will consider repealing a rule that exposes business owners to unfair liability for honest and inadvertent paperwork mistakes related to recordkeeping. The rule – which extends the statute of limitations on recordkeeping violations from six months to five and a half years – does not improve the safety or health of your company’s workers.

The rule was issued by OSHA to get around a court decision involving a construction company that challenged an OSHA citation for a recordkeeping violation issued beyond six months. Two federal courts have since rebuked OSHA’s theory for issuing recordkeeping citations after six months. This rule, issued by the Obama administration in December, directly contradicts both the courts and Congress.

Contact your Senators and urge them to support swift passage of H.J.Res. 83 to stop OSHA’s abuse of authority.